Confusing Dreams
by WishingDreamer5
Summary: Xehanort has been having the strangest dreams lately, all about a boy with blond hair, one with brown hair and an unknown girl with blue eyes and matching hair. Especially the girl is haunting him in his dreams. The question is, who are they? What does that mysterious girl have to do with him and the past that he can't seem to remember, other than in dreams and quick flashes?
1. Lost in One's Own Mind

**A/N: Obviously I don't own anything of Kingdom Hearts, only this one shot. It may contain some BBS spoilers, so beware! Don't tell me I didn't warn you. This is some sort of introduction to what I'm planning to write more about in the future. Well, maybe, 'cause I'm not entirely sure about it yet. It really depends on the reviews and such (and time!). I've also written a one-shot that takes place during KH: COM. It's kinda related to this story, but you can read both apart from each other too. Enjoy reading. :)**

* * *

_~ All he could do was bear with them for the time being. ~_

* * *

It had happened again, much to his dismay. Let's see, when had it started? He knew that...probably. His mind just didn't want to remember that little fact. How many times had it happened to him already? He did not know. What did it mean? He did not know. Was he rambling again? Maybe...he did not know. Was this a dream, or reality? He was not entirely sure...okay, he had not a single clue. Then was there anything he _did_ know? He did not know that, either, for he only had a hunch of what this could mean.

To be honest, Xehanort really had no idea at all what exactly was going on with him lately. Was he just being tired, or was he really starting to lose his mind, slowly but surely? Maybe it was just the killing stress that caused all this, coupled with the sudden frustrations of an entailed memory. Yes, he was confused, but there had to be something more to it, right?

After all, he had to admit that writing many lengthy reports about everything loose and stuck around you and, as if what he did still wasn't enough, recruiting new, intelligent enough members who could help them with their studies about hearts, darkness and what not, could be pretty exhausting, even for someone like him. Someone who had never taken the easy route in Life. Especially if you had to do this all over, every freakin' day, for the rest of you useless and almost pathetic life. And the sleep deficit he was having did not really help him in this case, either.

All in all, it was a pretty lethal combination for him and it actually killed him slowly from the inside, probably starting with his mind and his precious brains. Every morning, when Xehanort woke up (exhausted and disoriented), which usually was at five O'clock in the morning due to his important work, he felt terribly sick and dizzy.

Every time he looked in the mirror, he saw that the color on his skin started to fade away slowly. Perhaps his tiredness was why he had those immersive, exhausting dreams in which way too much was happening at the very same time, every single night. It was like a sharp reflection of everything he had experienced throughout that same day and that was actually not something he had been waiting for.

The funny - actually, funny was not the right word here. Ironic fitted better - thing about those disturbing dreams was that he never dreamed about himself. He always dreamed about a tall and handsome young man with dark brown hair (like the darkest chocolate imaginable) that reached to the base of his neck in the back and he'd styled it into a rather messy tangle of vertical spikes and bangs that framed his usually serious-looking face. His dark blue eyes sometimes looked like gemstones and his slightly tanned skin was always clear and flawless.

Even more remarkable than this happening was that this boy looked very much like him. Just a bit too much, he thought. It was not only confusing but also kind of...scary. Only Xehanort's eyes had a rare glowing orange-yellowish shade and his hair was as white as snow, with some silver bangs here and there. Oh, and the skin, of course. His skin was much darker than the guy's skin. At times like these, he thought he really was fortunate that no one else could read his mind. Then again, they'd most likely understand less than he did.

He did not even know what the name of the young man was, or why he kept having those peculiar dreams about him and his key-shaped weapon (because, you know, he _definitely_ didn't swing that way). It seemed almost as if he was not allowed to know, or recall the guy's name.

He frowned at this confusing thought, wondering where on earth _that_ had come from. It was farfetched, but it also made some sense, in some sort of confusing way.

That mysterious and tall young man was usually accompanied by two other people, usually on a place where the sun always seemed to be shining. They all had a key-shaped sword, but they had different shapes, sizes and colors.

_...Keyblade..._

One of his friends - he assumed that those people had to be his friends. Why else would he hang out with them that much? - was an energetic teenage boy, slightly younger than the brown-haired young man. The teenager had short blond hair; short spikes that were diverted to the right side of his head and rare, stunning blue-blue eyes. Ones that actually made your mouth just drop in amazement. Amazement for the almost pure and clean color.

He was the most cheerful member of the group, a real rascal actually. He couldn't miss any opportunity to make a joke with anyone. His eyes were always twinkling from amusement and pure bliss. His voice sounded so happy that you wanted to laugh along with him, even though there was nothing to laugh about at all. Certainly not for Xehanort.

The second person he kept dreaming of was a rather slender girl...or more a young woman. And what kind of young woman. She had brilliant cerulean eyes and her blue shoulder-length hair matched her remarkable eyes just perfectly. She was the more silent and serious one in their group and one could easily see that she always knew what she was doing. Her calm yet melodious voice and her eyes were the two things that surprised him the most. When she moved, it was graceful and elegant. You just had to keep looking at her. Xehanort could tell that she was very important to the group. Maybe she was their leader? That seemed probable and impossible at the same time, for Xehanort thought that the oldest guy looked and sounded more like a potential leader than she did. At least, from what he'd seen of them so far.

Who was this young woman? What did she have to do with _him_? Why did she return in all the dreams he had about those three people so far? Did they belong to his unknown past, which he could not remember for some dark, mysterious reasons?

Did those dreams mean more than he could understand? Was there something important that he did not know yet? Something he _could_ not know, but actually had to? There were so many questions to be answered.

He wished that he had all the answers. But how could he find the answers? He had no idea where he should start with searching in the first place. Did he want to search for the answers in the first place? Wasn't it better to know nothing? Maybe he had repressed his past for a reason. That was quite possible. But why? That was the big question that was driving him insane.

Those dreams were haunting him more than anything in the world. It was a simple fact and there was no way he could deny _that_. The unknown girl was haunting him even more, without really doing anything scary. No matter what he was doing or where he was, his thoughts always seemed to drift over to her. And every time he woke up having those strange dreams again, and bathing in his own sweat, his heart ached terribly. He started to feel empty and sad. He still had not even a single clue of what exactly was happening with him these days.

He always dreaded going to sleep, because he just knew that once he had closed his eyes, those dreams would be ready to chase after him and suck up all the remaining energy he still had left (which wasn't that much to begin with). That was why the other people of the castle in Radiant Garden always could find him in the enormous library until late at night, reading books and doing anything to keep himself from falling asleep.

Even now, he was sitting here in the deserted library, all on his own. A book lay in front of him on the wooden table, opened on the first page, but he had not read more than the first three words, "_Chapter 1. Giving_-"

They probably thought that he actually liked reading books, but they had no idea of what really was happening right in front of their very eyes. He did not talk about his dreams with anyone. It was none of their business, anyway. Besides, it wasn't that any of them would actually care. The idea alone was laughable; sitting there with that oddball Even, drinking a cup of tea, while pouring his heart out. No, it was better for everyone if he kept his mouth shut. Ansem the Wise was enough suspicious of him as it was.

Sometimes, though, Braig gave him the idea that _he_ did know more about his past. He even had called him _"Terra"_ once and the strange thing about that was that he really had thought his name was Terra, for one fleeting moment. He had the strange feeling that the boy's name was Terra as well, but he did not know why he was thinking that. It was more like a feeling.

There had also been another person he had dreamt about. It was an older guy. He figured out that it had to be the teacher of the small group. His black hair was tied into a short, high topknot, with one thick bang nonchalantly falling off to the right side of his face. He also had a mustache, but what really made him seem strict, were the thick scars running down his face, which were probably old battle scars.

At first, he had not been able to recall his name, but suddenly the name "Master Eraqus" had popped up into his mind. Something felt wrong about that "Master." Every time he thought about him, he started to feel incredibly guilty. There was also another feeling, just as strong as the other one: unreasonable hatred. Was he an enemy? He didn't really look like a bad guy, though. But then again, who was he to decide on which side the guy was?

Thinking too much of the dreams that bothered him always gave him a terrible head ache, but he just could do nothing else but think of it, think of _them_, all day long. He was pretty sure of one thing, though; those dreams would not leave him alone for a long time. All he could do was bear with them for the time being. He did not know if he was able to do so, though, but he knew he had no other choice.

* * *

**A/N: Thanks for actually taking the time to read this! =) I really hope you've enjoyed it. ^_^ So was it good? Bad? Let me know what you think of this one-shot and let me also know if you want more one-shots like this one, about this very same subject and if you want a series of one-shots, all put in one story, or just all those one-shots apart from each other. You would really help me if you did that. The next one-shot (if anyone's interested) will be about what exactly he's dreaming. So more BBS spoilers to go!**


	2. Like Brothers

**A/N: *Two years later* I'm so sorry for the über late update! This story will consist of eight chapters, so after this, only six more chapters to go (and as expected, the next one will be fluffy!Terqua). Also, this story won't go with KH: DDD's timeline and events. This is just a 'theory' I had after finishing BBS, so we'll all have to ignore the new KH game. Hope you enjoy! :)**_  
_

**Thank you: NinjaSheik, BlackFrozenRoze, XxX-SparklinkEyes-XxX, Blue Jae, Zara2148, Razor Goto, Flightfoot, Kerabel, oddishh, neko-neko-aishizu, Shining Sunny, OathkeeperRoxasXNamine09, Jull08, DarkxRosex24, Axrat, AquaStormXIV, and M. L. Ayala, my brilliant beta reader.**

* * *

_~ "No, I meant out of the two of us, who gets the girl?" ~_

* * *

It was a rather warm and pleasant evening in the beautiful Land of Departure, just the way they liked it. The air still smelled like freshly cut grass, coated with fragrant flowers and the sky seemed to glimmer continuously thanks to the thousands upon thousands of twinkling stars. Two male teens, a brunet and a blonde, were sitting on a bench, looking at the night sky, while waiting for their other friend who could arrive at any time now to join them in their stargazing. For now, though, it was silent between the two friends who regarded each other brothers. Only the locusts were eager enough to break the peaceful silence, filling it with their own unique sounds. It was almost as though they were using a Morse code and quite honestly, Terra found that quite interesting.

"Hey Terra?" the spiky-haired blonde suddenly asked, tearing his eyes away from the perpetually beautiful sky.

"Hmm?" the eldest teen said lazily, not bothering to avert his gaze from the mesmerizing stars, but shifting slightly.

The younger boy looked around nervously, before bringing his head closer to Terra, as if he was about to tell him a dirty secret that nobody else, not even the grasshoppers, was supposed to hear. "Can I ask you something? Something... _personal_?"

Naturally, any other person would have become highly suspicious by now and answer with a swift and resolute "No," what with him halting dramatically before that last word, but obviously, Terra wasn't like other people. In fact, all the brunet did was nod and say, "Shoot."

"Okay, then..." The younger boy took another deep, shaky breath and started whispering, "Suppose that all the other worlds in our multiverse, save for this one, would be absorbed in everlasting darkness and there's really nothing we can do to change that. No secret magic tricks, no sprinkle of Hope and Light to work with, nothing..." He paused there. "Are you still following me?"

Terra made a non-committal noise, letting him know that he understood his reasoning so far.

"Then what would you do?" the blonde went on.

Terra blinked, dumbfounded, realizing that nothing would follow. He was utterly perplexed, even though he tried not to show it. _That's all? And here I thought I would have to explain him something shocking yet again... just like last time when he asked where babies come from._

"Uh, I don't know, Ven. Maybe pray for a miracle from the friendly spirits and the gods?" the brunet male replied, while quietly wondering what to think of the blonde's rather..._ odd_ behavior (then again, what was odd when it came to Ventus? Sixty percent of the time he was acting like this, after all).

Also, why was he asking_ him_ of all people, anyway? Couldn't he find someone else? Normally, it was their dear friend Aqua who had to deal with his random (and varying from pretty interesting to downright creepy) questions, because, well, she was the best at explaining things, while still staying patient. And Kingdom Hearts knew how much of that trait you needed when you were talking to Ven. Thank Heavens he hadn't landed into an embarrassing situation this time. He knew from experience that Ven really had an outspoken talent for pulling him into those awkward moments.

Meanwhile, Ven let out an impatient huff at his friend's slowness, feeling a lot like hitting him on the head, _hard_. "No, I meant out of the two of us, who gets the girl?"

The brunet teen furrowed his brows, giving him a questioning look. "What girl?"

Had he missed something?

"Ugh, _Aqua_, of course, who else!" Ven exclaimed, obviously ticked off at how oblivious Terra was. "_Geez_, Terra! How slow can you possibly get!?"

_Although maybe that was more a case of stupidity, not slowness. To think that he's the oldest one of our group. Sure doesn't act like that if you ask me_, Ven thought, suppressing the urge to let out a deep sigh.

"Oh, I see..." Terra said, almost as though he'd only noticed now that one of Master Eraqus's pupils was a girl. "That's easy: that would be me, of course, because I'm the eldest and the strongest. Besides, Aqua and I don't have such a big age gap, at all... unlike you. She's more like a mother to you, rather than a lover."

This comment seemed to rub Ven entirely the wrong way and that was easy to tell from his tense body language. He frowned, reminding his friend, "Age doesn't matter when it comes to real love. It's what Aqua said." As an afterthought, he added, "And I'm strong, too!"

The earth Keybearer let out a rather uncharacteristic snort, because of his naïvety, as well as his lack of knowledge. Almost effortlessly, he pushed his younger friend off the bench they were sitting on with a simple, nonchalant move. With a loud '_thump_!' the blonde landed on the hard ground, _hard_.

"_Ow_! What was _that_ for!?" Ventus cried indignantly, his electric blue eyes narrowing in anger.

"If you really had been strong, like you claimed to be, then you wouldn't have fallen off the bench that easily," he explained calmly, but he couldn't suppress his satisfactory smirk. "I mean, c'mon, Ven. I wasn't even trying!"

"Oh yeah?" Ventus growled under his breath, as he countered with a swift, effective kick at Terra's shin, making the latter groan in pain.

"What the heck, Ven!?" the brunet snarled, rubbing his hurt leg.

"If you really had been that strong, then you wouldn't have felt that at all," was the simple response, while he did a small victory dance in his head. "Come on, Terra. It wasn't even that hard!"

"What are you talking about? That has _nothing_ to do with strength!" Terra sputtered.

"Yes, it has, you sore loser. Oh, and let me _kindly_ remind you that by the time you'll arrive at the scene to save her from the darkness, I'll be long gone with her to a safe and sunny place, 'cause I'm _much_ faster than you!"

"Tch. Then may I just as_ kindly_ remind you that you're contradicting yourself; you just said that this would be the only world that was unharmed," Terra reminded him smugly.

"Wha-" The younger teen's eyes widened. He blushed a crimson red at the discovery, but was quick to recover. "So? Then I'm taking it back. Aqua and I will find another safe world and you won't be there, so _nyuh_!"

"Why you _little_-" Terra started, ready to catch him in a strong headlock until he would change his mind, before he was interrupted by a familiar female voice, coming from behind him.

"Hey, guys. What are you doing?"

Both male teens froze in pure horror and they could only think of one thing, _Busted_.

This sudden appearance seemed to startle both young men, as they let out sharp gasps, hoping to any merciful god that she hadn't just heard their heated conversation. Because that would be so awkward that they wouldn't be able to look at her for the rest of their lives... at the _least_.

"Nothing," both young men cried simultaneously, sitting ramrod straight again.

No, they weren't looking suspicious at all... _yeah_.

"And why is Ven sitting on the ground?" the bluenette continued with an edge of wonder in her melodious voice.

Ven gulped. Darn Aqua and her knack of noticing practically everything. Maybe Terra was right, she _was_ more like a mother than a lover sometimes (though he'd rather die than tell him that).

"Oh, you know... Just... some guy thing you wouldn't understand," he quickly lied, before getting up to sit next to Terra again.

The young pupil grimaced, because he could feel how his pants were damp now (it had drizzled earlier and the grass had been still wet. Just _great_) and it felt funny. Here was hoping that Aqua hadn't seen it. He'd be absolutely mortified if she had.

When he discretely prodded the older guy, Terra automatically nodded and said lamely, "Uh, yeah. What he said."

The bluenette blinked, staring at her friends who were acting _really_ weird. It was almost as though they were trying to hide something. Perhaps it was indeed better not to ask this time.

It was silent for a moment (although it felt like ages for the two male teens), but then Aqua started to laugh. "Sounds like I missed out on the fun stuff... You know, you two would really make the weirdest brothers."

"Uhm..." Ven blinked, wondering if that was some sort of compliment or not.

"Thanks... I think," Terra replied slowly, before his gaze travelled to the youngest member of their group.

Almost at once, he started laughing when he caught Ven's facial expression. He looked as clueless as he felt, which, despite the situation, warmed his heart. Both Aqua and the youngest pupil soon joined him.

At that moment, the image faded away slowly, because exactly 380 days later, Xehanort was staring at his ceiling, wondering for the umpteenth time what that dream had to mean... Or if it actually was a dream to begin with. It wasn't like the answers were written on his ceiling...

How easy that would make things.

Letting out a deep sigh, he turned around to face the cream-colored walls and closed his bright, amber-colored eyes, hoping fervently that sleep would come fast, even though he knew deep in his heart that that wouldn't be the case tonight, just like every other night.


	3. The Evil Splinter

**A/N: It seems that I can't stop writing pointless fluff about those two...**

**Thank you: miano53, Walker of Nothing, FlightfootKeyseeker, Blue Jae, Zanzetsuken, fairyneko, and Mystics Apprentice, my brilliant beta.**

* * *

_~ "Since when did you become such a softie?" she countered, to which he didn't reply. Knowing that he would soon fall into a very grumpy mood (and may the gods help them if he did) if hers didn't lighten, she asked jokingly, "Aww, want me to kiss the pain away?" ~_

* * *

Terra groaned in pain once again, which Aqua responded with a sharp, almost disapproving look. "Don't be such a baby. It's almost out," she tutted, shaking her head before focusing on her task again.

"Almost out!?" Terra sputtered.

"Well, this obviously hurts me more than—ow!_ Aqua_!"

"Sorry! Just hold on a little longer, I'm almost done," the bluenette said quickly. Almost immediately, she let out a sigh of relief and let go of his thumb. "There. The splinter is out. Just be more careful next time, okay?"

Terra frowned, while inspecting his now throbbing thumb, almost as though he were looking for something to blame her on. "Not funny, Aqua. Since when did you become this harsh?"

"Since when did you become such a softie?" she countered, to which he didn't reply. Knowing that he would soon fall into a very grumpy mood (and may the gods help them if he did) if hers didn't lighten, she asked jokingly, "Aw, want me to kiss the pain away?"

The corner of the brunet's mouth seemed to twitch upward, as he answered after a short pause, "...Yes please."

A quiet beat passed and the perplexed bluenette blinked, not having expected that kind of reply. The baffled expression that had appeared on her flawless face was clearly showing that.

"Excuse me?"

"Oh, you heard me. Do it. Kiss the pain away, because that's the least you could do after torturing me for hours."

"Terra, that was barely three minutes," she reminded him flatly, somehow reminding him of his mother.

To think that she'd always thought of Ven being the one to exaggerate so much. Now she finally understood where the blond had learned it from (or rather, from whom). After all, Terra was pretty much his big example and Ven looked up to him as he would to an older brother... or possibly even a father-figure. Too bad Terra was anything but the latter.

"...I dare you," the brunet male then said, his cobalt-blue eyes glinting in what had to be pure amusement.

Aqua's heart skipped a beat or two when she caught that _look_ on his face. If only he knew what he was doing to her...

Before she could stop herself, slender fingers gently took a hold of Terra's still sore thumb and the bluenette brought it to her lips.

"Because you kept insisting," she told him when she was done (and was it just her, or had it become really hot all of a sudden?).

Her friend didn't reply, but instead gave her a long, hard stare that made her insides burn. It made her wonder if he couldeven hear her heartbeat. Eventually, he lifted his other hand, showing his thumb to her.

"Now what?" she wondered, curiously.

"This one hurts, too."

At that instant, she almost believed him, because he sounded so... adorable.

It was silent between them for a good moment, but then Aqua smiled. She ruffled his soft, smooth hair affectionately, saying, "Very cute," before getting up and walking away to store the items she had used to remove Terra's splinter.

"D'aww. At least I tried," the oldest pupil said with a sigh, to no one in particular as he watched her go. The upward curve of his lips was hard to miss, though, even though nobody was there to see it.

A part of him still couldn't believe that Aqua had actually relented that easily, but the part that had realized this reality was feeling strangely euphoric that she did. If only they would have more moments like that...

Maybe he should "accidentally" hurt himself more often. Especially because the treatment he got afterwards was more than worth it.

* * *

**A/N: Thanks for reading! Next chapter will focus more on Xehanort's life again.**


	4. Meeting With the Devil

**A/N: This is the only chapter of the story that contains HUGE KH: DDD spoilers. The next chapters will be completely spoiler-free, though. So you're warned...**

**Thank you: key, FlightfootKeyseeker, miano53, and Mystics Apprentice.**

* * *

_~ Something felt so...off about him, almost wrong. He decided that this person was definitely not someone one wanted to meet in a dark alley. ~_

* * *

_It was a pleasantly warm evening. The seagulls sang their noisy song and waves crashed on the rocky surface of the island. All the little sounds mingled together in a serene, unique symphony that promised eternal peace and happiness. Xehanort stared out at the unreachable horizon that had always fascinated him more than anything, seemingly deep in thought. It was a look that adorned his handsome features far too many times, it seemed. By now, the sky had colored a deep orange with the setting sun. It was quite a spectacular sight, but someone who had seen this for years now wouldn't pay the slightest attention to it. There was nothing new about it; it was always the same sky, after all. Yesterday, the sky had looked the same and tomorrow would, too, albeit in a slight different shade._

_Something inside him had changed, just like that; he wanted to leave this place. This particular idea had come to his mind almost on a whim, but the instant he gave it thought, the young man was sure that leaving was what he desired the most. The question was, how? There was nothing but sea, as far as the eye could see. Building a raft was a no-no (and practically the most stupid thing he could do... Unless he had a death wish). It would fall apart right after the first large wave hit it. Honestly, he would even sell his soul if he had to, as long as it would get him out of this " Utopian" prison. Then again, that was impossible, too, considering that a devil would never visit such a happy place..._

_It was only then that he sensed another presence near him. He swiftly turned around, ready to tell whoever it was (probably another secret admirer—another thing that he was getting so sick of) to leave him alone. However, he spotted a hunched figure in a dark brown robe instead. At once, he knew that he didn't belong here, but not only because he didn't fit the scene at all. Something felt so...off about him, almost wrong. He decided that this person was definitely not someone you'd want to meet in a dark alley._

_Xehanort had always been blessed with an excellent intuition in comparison to others of his age, and right now, his feeling told him to run away as fast as he could, never to look back again. Still, neither his feet nor brains bothered to cooperate; he couldn't stop staring with inexplicable fascination. At that moment, the mysterious figure seemed to notice him and, despite the fact that his face was hidden by this hood, Xehanort knew he—at least, his feeling told him that he was a man —was looking at him. The young silver-haired man's heart started beating faster and faster when the stranger started approaching him slowly, like a predator that had spotted his weak prey._

_When the stranger stood still in front of him, he asked the younger man, " Don't you ever want to leave this place? Just go wherever Destiny takes you and never come back?" His voice was raspy, pleasant and unpleasant at the same time. The light-haired adult got goosebumps despite the tropical climate._

_Xehanort frowned. " Why would you care?"_

_The hooded figure let out an amused chuckle at that. " Well, I think I have a rather interesting proposal that will benefit both of us..."_

_" Suppose you're right, why would I even want to join you?" the young man asked slowly._

_" Because, Xehanort, you have no choice. It's written in your fate."_

_Aquamarine-colored eyes widened considerably when he heard the stranger utter his own name. How could he possibly have known that...Unless somehow, he'd been watching him for a while now. However, he had little time to worry about that, because the figure raised his hands to pull down his hood and reveal his face._

_Xehanort would realize much later that on that day, he had sold his soul to the devil, the only difference being that he was the devil himself..._

* * *

It was fairly early in the morning, but the castle in Radiant Garden seemed to be more awake than ever. The guards and scientists were always the early risers, along with the merchants. Xehanort was more than glad, however, that the kitchen was empty for the time being. It meant that he had enough time to think about his latest memory/dream...thing. Whatever the hell it was. The silver-haired man swiftly made some coffee for himself (strong, black, without sugar; exactly the way he liked it) and allowed his thoughts to drift back and forth between everything that bothered him at the moment.

Sipping his coffee, he considered the theory of him coming from a group of islands that probably nobody had heard of. Which one, he didn't know. But if he did know, what would the difference be? Would he still want to go home? Perhaps only out of curiosity. Maybe there was nothing there for him, anyway... And should he be worried about that scary-looking hunched figure? Who in the worlds was that guy, anyway?

Suddenly, someone hit him jovially on the shoulders, startling him out of his thoughts. Not only that, but he almost choked on his coffee, too, burning his mouth in the process. He swiveled around and stood face-to-face with one of Lord Ansem's guards. Unfortunately, it was the one that he disliked the most: Braig.

Xehanort glared daggers at him, hoping to come off as incredibly intimidating, but the other man grinned back cheekily, not bothered at all. "Morning, Mr. McBroody. Or should I say '_Master_'?" He chuckled darkly before continuing, "What's with the long face?"

"Non of your business," the scientist retorted coolly.

"Whoa, there! Looks like someone is a little ray of morning sunshine here..."

After putting his still half-filled cup of coffee in the sink, Xehanort turned and left, stiffly. Why was it that the man always gave him the creeps, as if he had to watch out for him? It wasn't even because of that evil glint in his amber eyes, but Braig always gave him the feeling that he knew much more about him than he let on (like, what was up with that "Master" part? He kept calling him that). That fact alone was _very_ unsettling...

* * *

**A/N: Thanks for reading! I'm not sure if I explained this earlier, but I made Xehanort's eye color aquamarine on purpose. I think it changed from color during the years, when he was more and more exposed to the darkness.**


	5. Advice About Girls

**A/N: ****Thank you: RitinhaMad, FlightfootKeyseeker, and AquaStormXIV, who betaed this chapter. :)  
**

* * *

_~ __Ven was more perceptive than he let on, that much was clear now._ ~

* * *

_Ven let out a deep sigh, looking at his hands that were on his lap. "I guess I'm just... afraid that I'll never be able to get a girlfriend."_

_The more he said, the redder he became from embarrassment. At this point, he didn't even dare to look at the older brunet male, scared that he would laugh at him. The two pupils were currently sitting on Terra's bed, discussing some typical 'guy stuff.' Actually, it was more like Ven telling his older friend about his worries._

_Terra, however, had other thoughts about this._

_He shook his head in disagreement. "That's rubbish; you're cute."_

_"And that's... good?" the blond asked hopefully._

_Terra let out a loud laugh at his younger friend's naïvety, before he reached over to ruffle his spikes. "Is that good? _Of course_ it's good! Haven't you ever noticed how Aqua does everything you ask and never gets mad at you, no matter what you do?"_

_Ven nodded slowly, wondering where he was going with this. If he was going to say that Aqua secretly had a crush on him, then Terra was more absurd than the pants he was currently wearing._

_"Well, that's because she can't resist your cuteness. Why do you think I always get all the blame, even on things that are obviously your fault? Wish I was a bit cuter so she would notice me, too." He had muttered the last one, looking more miserable than ever._

_If Aqua had been able to see him now, she sure would've thought that the dark-haired teen looked absolutely adorable, like a lost puppy._

_Ventus put a hand on his shoulder and gave him an encouraging shake. "Don't worry, Terra. Trust me when I say that it's hard not to notice you. You're so strong and funny! Why do you think she always has that special smile saved for you alone? You know, after you open another bottle for her? Why do you think she goes to you at all? I mean, it's not like she couldn't open it herself with her magic. She probably _wants_ you to open it."_

_It was silent for a moment, as the older pupil let the words sink in._

_"Hey, you've got a point there..." Terra said thoughtfully, stroking his chin._

_Funny how he'd never noticed that before, but it made sense. Ven was more perceptive than he let on, that much was clear now. Maybe he should do something with this info. You know, just to see what would happen. Teasing Aqua and see how cute she would start acting didn't actually sound half as bad..._

_"Thanks, Ven. I feel much better now."_

_"Even though you were supposed to cheer me up, you mean?" Ven asked jokingly, which earned him a smack on the shoulder... the force of it almost making him fall off the bed._

_Terra let out an amused chuckle. "Oops! Sorry, Ven."_

* * *

Yes, Xehanort was sure that his memories were coming back slowly. It probably wouldn't take that long. The most confusing part was that it looked as though he was two people at the same time, as though the silver-haired man had lived two lifes at the same time. So the big question was: Who was he really, Terra or Xehanort? Or maybe he was both?

Perhaps he had to choose between those two, but then he didn't know which one he wanted to be, really. Terra's life seemed to be so... easy, so carefree, whereas Xehanort was all about intellectual things, power and status, which he'd all reached by himself. Without the help of any friends. Didn't that make him the stronger one out of the two?

Then again, maybe he had no choice. Maybe his destiny already had decided for him. At least that left him with one thing less to worry about.

Well, only time could tell...


	6. Dates for the Day

**A/N: No matter how hard I try, I can't see this happen... Still, I couldn't resist. Hope you guys enjoy. :D**

**Thanks: miano53, Lucia Tsukiyomi-hime, Guest, lightsoilder297, LunaTheDragonSlayer, Inoma, KrissCross2222, and Walker of Nothing. :)****  
**

* * *

_~ ...He decided right then and there that he didn't even want to know anymore. ~_

* * *

_Surprisingly, the first thing that Eraqus said when Xehanort came outside was, "Ah, excellent timing, buddy, for I was about to call you. Ladies, have you met my friend Xehanort yet?" The man shot the two pretty women__—__one pink-haired and the other a redhead__—__a grin, as he prodded Xehanort's side. "Don't worry, he's not always as solemn as he looks. Believe it or not, but he's a pretty cool guy once you get to know him. I guess he's just a little shy around pretty women like you."_

_At this, the two strangers erupted into giggling._

_The silver-haired young man in question shot his cheerful friend one of his famous_ looks_, before eying the two well endowed young women__. __B__oth waved at him when their gaze__s__ met. "Yeah... Right. Nice to meet you both. I'll be leaving now," the silver-haired pupil said dryly, turning around again__._

_To be honest, he had more important stuff to do than...whatever the hell it was that Eraqus had planned for them this time__. __(__S__eriously, that guy never ceased to amaze him__.__) Xehanort simply refused to study during the weekends, which meant that he had to work twice as hard on weekdays._

_"No, wait!" Eraqus grabbed his arm and pulled him back to them again._

_"What do you think you're doing?"_

_"C'mon, Nortie__—__"_

_"Do not call me that."_

_"Okay, but Susan and Emily are our dates for the day," the raven-haired young man continued, __as though__ he hadn't been interrupted._

_He raised a finely arched eyebrow at that. "I beg your pardon?"_

_"You heard me," came the immediate response. "If not for me, do it for the them. We can't possibly turn down such beauties, that would break their hearts! And they came all the way from town to meet you."_

_"...They did?"_

_Xehanort's eyes __traveled__ back to Susan and Emily, thinking of the pros and cons of agreeing to go on a double date.__ T__he pink-haired one winked at him, __which__ he returned__ with a faint upturn of his lips. If Master Victoria found out... Well, he wasn't entirely sure what would happen, but the outcome couldn't be good. It didn't matter how much Light she had within her, the woman could give Hades himself a run for his money._

_Xehanort sighed lightly, running a hand through his glossy locks__. H__e seemed to make a decision then. "Very well, then. I guess they're already here, anyway. There's no point __in__ sending them back without giving them something worthwhile."_

_Eraqus's grin __grew wide as__ he slapped him jovially on the shoulder. "Now that's the spirit!" Without the two young women hearing it, he whispered in his friend's ear, "Since I arranged this, I can pick first... So Susan, the redhead, is already taken."_

_His friend rolled his amber-colored eyes. "Be my guest, Eraqus."_

_He liked the other one better, anyways...and the feeling seemed mutual, what with the way she was flirting with him. Perhaps this wasn't that bad at all..._

_"Shall we, Susan?" Eraqus asked, to which she nodded._

_The dark-haired man had always been polite when he flirted, which only made him more popular by the girls. Xehanort, however, had a more...direct (sometimes even perverted) approach._

_"Why hello there, beautiful," he said in a low voice._

_His striking eyes lit up, a half-smirk adorning his face, but that only made his date for the day smile. _Let's see how much this one truly understands of what I say_, he thought, linking his arm with hers._

_And for once, he didn't mind doing his homework in the weekend. It was worth it this time. Emily would make sure of that._

* * *

Xehanort shook his head at the bizarre scene. What the hell was _that_ all about?

...He decided right then and there that he didn't even want to know anymore.

(Thank heavens people couldn't look into his mind.)

* * *

**A/N: Unfortunately, next chapter will be the last. :( Any thoughts on this? :)**


	7. About Time

**A/N: The last chapter already! Then again, it was about time, wasn't it? :P ****This one's for Amulet Misty. Happy birthday! :D**

**Thanks: Walker of Nothing, miano53, Jedi Master Holly Black, and vividim. :)**

* * *

_~ Things were about to change, this time for good... ~_

* * *

_Aqua was the first one to pull away, welcoming the air in her lungs. However, she didn't take the time to catch her breath or revel in the feeling of hundreds of butterflies swarming in her stomach._

_"We shouldn't do this, Terra," the bluenette said breathlessly. "It's not that I don't want to, but Master said it was-"_

_But she couldn't finish the sentence, because Terra already captured her lips with his own as he kissed her again, longer and more passionate this time. The difference with the previous kiss was that she could feel his desperation and need through the gesture now. The thought alone made her feel as light as a feather._

_When they broke away again, he let out, "Would you really let someone else decide for you what to do with _your_ feelings?"_

_The bluenette bit her bottom lip shyly, looking away as if she had to think about that. Meanwhile, the brunet teen couldn't take his eyes off her. Admittedly, Aqua had always been extraordinarily beautiful, to the point that it made his breath hitch every time she smiled, but now that her cheeks were flushed and her long, dark lashes seemed to flutter with every breath that she took as she was lying quietly on her bed next to him (with their clothes on, mind you)... She looked like a dream._

_Aqua took a deep breath, causing him to look in her eyes again. "Maybe...you're right. And if we're careful enough, nobody has to find out...right?"_

_Terra smiled, while reaching out to caress her cheek, because this was exactly what he'd wanted to hear from her. By the looks of it, he didn't have to tell her that; she already knew. The blue-haired young woman took his hand and brought it to her lips._

_"Ven's going to be the hardest case, though."_

_Both teens laughed at that._

_"Definitely."_

* * *

It was weird and Xehanort wondered if he should be worried about the fact that his heart ached after remembering this scattered...dream, or not. Sometimes the silver-haired man wondered, had Aqua really been his secret lover? If that was the case, then how had they ever managed to hide this from everyone else, including their master's watchful eye? He could imagine that Ven, especially Ven, would've caused them a lot of trouble, what with his curiosity and all. And yet, they had never stopped with those secret meetings deep in the night.

He was about to give that further thought, when a soul-piercing bolt of pain went right through his skull, quickly followed by several more. The feeling was indescribable, but it came the closest to the experience of having daggers shoved into one's head. Suddenly, he was unable to bear it and he collapsed on the cold floor, shuddering from the impact. Still, as time went on, it didn't seem to stop nor diminish. In fact, his head felt as though it could explode any moment. Xehanort had no idea how long it went on like this, but he was so scared that this was the end for him. It could have been seconds...or hours (although later, he suspected that it was the first, since nobody ran into him all the time that he was lying on the floor).

Eventually, when the pain subsided, he got up, still panting as though he'd just run a marathon. His usually dead eyes seemed to glow faintly now, looking more orange than usual. The beginning of an evil smirk was plastered on his face, as he adjusted his long hair and white lab coat to look more presentable. He knew exactly what to do and he was sure that he would succeed, too...if he was careful enough this time; the man couldn't afford any more mistakes on his part.

_It was about time that I got my memories back. I'm terribly behind on my schedule_, he thought to himself, feeling more elated than he had since he'd arrived here.

Things were about to change, this time _for good_...

* * *

**A/N: Thanks so much for sticking with me till the very end! I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing the chapters.**

**REVIEW SHOUT-OUT: NinjaSheik, BlackFrozenRose, XxX-SparklingEyes-XxX, Blue Jae, zara2148, Razor Goto, FlightfootKeyseeker, Kerabel, miano53, Walker of Nothing, key, Guest, LunaTheDragonSlayer, and last, but certainly not least, Inoma.**


End file.
